William the ConquerorWilliam the Conqueror was a formidable personality, whose political imagination and ruthless will were the driving force of the Norman Conquest of England. In this biography, David Bates describes the full scope of William s achievements in both Normandy and England, setting them firmly in the context of Europe in an age of change and turmoil. William showed himself to be an outstanding soldier and an extremely effective ruler, who combined great fortitude with an unbending insistence on his own authority. He was also cruel, greedy, and intoleranta man who pitilessly stamped out opposition and shamelessly manipulated facts to justify dubious enterprises." |
Contents
Preface | 7 |
Boyhood and Youth | 39 |
Supremacy in Northern France | 53 |
Copyright | |
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abbey abbots Anglo-Norman Anglo-Saxon Chronicle appears aristocracy Arques authority Battle of Hastings Bayeux Tapestry became Bellême Bishop Odo Brittany brother Caen campaign Canterbury castle century charters Confessor's conquest of England contemporary Count Fulk Count Geoffrey Count of Anjou Count Robert death Domesday Book Domfront ducal duchy Duke of Normandy Earl early Easter Edgar the Ætheling Edward the Confessor eleventh eleventh-century enemies English kingdom example father French frontier Geoffrey Martel Harold Herleva invasion King Henry lands lord magnates Maine major Mathilda medieval military monk Norman Conquest Norman dukes Normandy and England Normandy before 1066 Normandy's northern France Northumbria Orderic Vitalis Orderic's papacy papal political Pope probably rebels Roger de Montgommery Rouen ruler sources St-Etienne succession territorial tion took twelfth-century Val-ès-Dunes vassal Vexin Waltheof warriors William fitz Osbern William of Jumièges William of Malmesbury William of Poitiers William the Conqueror William's army William's personal William's reign William's rule Winchester